Three guarantor states, Russia, Iran and Turkey, held preliminary meetings in Astana prior to the session.

The first day of the forum will be dedicated to bilateral consultations and a final plenary meeting is scheduled for September 15, Tass news agency reported.

The Russian delegation to the talks is led by Russian president’s Syrian settlement envoy Alexander Lavrentyev. The Iranian delegation in led by Deputy Foreign Minister Hossein Ansari, and the Turkish delegation is led by Deputy Foreign Minister Sedat Onal.

The UN Secretary General’s special envoy for Syria, Staffan de Mistura, the Jordanian Foreign Ministry’s special advisor for political issues Nawaf Uasfi Tel, and US Acting Assistant Secretary of State for the Near East Affairs, David Satterfield will be acting as observers at the consultations.

Bashar Ja’afari, the Syrian ambassador to the United Nations is heading the Syrian government delegation and the chief of staff of the Syrian Free Army, Ahmed Berri will represent the armed opposition.